Bicycle.



" PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

E. T. PETERS.

BICYCLE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 16. 906.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

:' lltiililll ll WITNESSES. INVENTZJH Edwzir lZYPezrs A TTORNEYS 1n:mamas Psrzzs co., wnsumnrolv,

PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

E. T. PETERS.

BICYCLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

in Am M \v w 2% Q INVENTOI? Eda]??? Z 1 62276 WITNESS ATTORNEYS EDWINTHOMPSON PETERS, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

BICYCLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Application filed July 18 1906. Serial No. 326,688.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN THOMPSON PETERS, a citizen of theUnitedgStates, and a resident of Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster andState of Nebraska, have made certain new and useful Improvements inBicycles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in bicycles, and consists in certainnovel constructions and combinations of parts as hereinafter describedand claimed.

Referring to the drawings forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a side viewof a bicycle provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 1s a longitudinalsection through the hub of the rear driving wheel. Fig. 3 is a partialtrans verse section of the hub on the line of one of the clutchmechanisms. Fig. 4.- is a detail of one of the racks.

In the present embodiment of my invention, the frame A comprises thesteering sleeve a, and the seat post sleeve (1, connected by the bracesa 0. the seat post sleeve having connected thereto the rear forks a af".The lower brace 0, and the lower fork a are in the same straight line,this arrangement being permitted by the absence of the crank hanger. 1

The front wheel B and the steering apparatus connected therewith, are ofordinary construction, and since they form no part of my invention, Ihave not deemed it necessary to further describe the same. The rearwheel B is of ordinary construction, having a hollow hub b journaled inthe circular bearings b, at the junction of the upper and lower rearforks. The ends Z), W, of the hub b, extend beyond the bearings, and areprovided upon their peripheral surfaces adja cent to the bearings, withrecesses b for receiving the balls I) of a ball clutch, and the extremeend of the extension 5 is provided with a ball groove 12 for a purposeto be hereafter set forth. A sprocket wheel O, having a hollow hub 0,provided with a flange a, secured to a shaft 0 is arranged upon theextension I) provided with the ball groove, and the inner face of thehub c of the sprocket wheel O, is provided with recesses c forcooperating with the balls I) of the ball clutch before mentioned. Thedeepest portion of these recesses, is at their front ends, and theyincline gradually upward at their rear ends, until the said rear endsare on a level with the inner face of the hub. I

It is evident from the description that when the sprocket wheel O isrotated in a forward direction, the balls will be forced into contactwith the shoulders ofthe recesses 6 and with the rear ends of therecesses c of the hub, in such manner as to clutch the sprocket wheel Oto the extended end 5 of the 'wheel hub, it being understood that theshaft 0 extends through the hollow hub to the other side thereof, and isthreaded at its free end' as at c"; for receiving a nut 0 whose purposewill be hereafter set forth. The opposite extension I) of the wheel hub,has a sprocket wheel O having a hollow hub 0 provided with recesses 0similar in all respects to the recesses c of the hub c of the sprocketwheel C before described. A plurality of balls 6 are arranged within therecesses of the hub c and the extension 1), whereby to clutch thesprocket wheel O to the extended end of the hub when the said sprocketwheel is rotated in a forward direction. The peripheral surface of thehollow hub c is provided with a ball groove 0 for receiving a series ofballs c and'upon the said hollow hub c is journaled a second sprocketwheel o of relatively small diameter, having a recessed hub 0 forreceiving the hollow hub c of the sprocket wheel C. 1

The hub e of the sprocket wheel 0 is keyed to the shaft 0 by means ofballs 0 arranged in a longitudinal groove 0 in the shaft 0 and acoacting groove 0 in the inner face of the hub of the sprocket wheel oin such manner that the sprocket wheel 0 is constrained to rotate withthe shaft 0 Treadle levers D, D, are pivoted upon the sides of the lowerrear fork, upon pins d, projecting from the sides of the said fork, thesaid treadle levers comprising a portion 61 provided with the ordinarypedal (1 and a forked portion d, projecting rearwardly from the pivotpin (1. The free ends of the forked portion are screw threaded as at dand are passed through lateral lugs e upon arc-shaped rack bars E, thescrew threaded ends being engaged by nuts 0?, whereby to retain .therack bars in proper position.

The rack bars E comprise the arc-shaped side bars 6 connected atintervals by pins a having rollers e journaled thereon, and are adaptedto engage the sprocket wheels O and O at the rear thereof.

The treadle lever D has secured to the outer side of the forked portionthereof, a second rack bar E, similar in all respects to IIO the rackbars E, and engaging the sprocket wheel before described at the frontthereof, the said rack being secured to the fork arms by the screws d".The treadle levers D, D, are arranged in such position with respect toeach other, that when the sprocket wheel C is at one end of the rack E,upon the treadle lever D, the sprocket wheel C will be at the other endof the rack E on the treadle lever D.

It will be evident from the description that when the treadle lever D isdepressed, the

' wheel B will be rotated in a forward direction, and that the sprocketwheel 0 will be rotated in an opposite'direction from that of therotation of the wheel B, thus turning the sprocket wheel 0 rearwardly,and moving the treadle lever D in an opposite direction to the treadlelever D. In other words, the connection of the rack bar E and the shaft0 is such that the sprocket wheel C is always rotated in an oppositedirection from that of the sprocket wheel C.

Braces G, are connected with theouter ends of the pivot pins d, and withthe upper ortion of the upper fork 0., whereby to reieve the strain uponthe said pivot pins.

I claim:

-1. In a bicycle, the combinationwith the frame, of a rear wheel havinga hollow hub journaled in the frame, sprocket wheels journaled on thehub on each side of the frame, clutch connections between the wheels andthe hub, whereby to connect the wheels to the hub during the forwardrotation of said wheels, treadle levers pivoted to the side of the frameand provided with racks engaging the sprocket wheels, and means forretaining the treadle levers in opposite positions with respect to eachother, comprising a shaft rigid with one of the s rocket wheels andextending through the ffollow hub, a sprocket wheel keyed on the freeend of the shaft, and the rack on the adjacent treadle lever engagingsuch sprocket wheel whereby to rotate it in an opposite direction to theadjacent sprocket wheel during the movement of the treadle lever.

2 In a bicycle, the combination with the frame, of a rear wheel having ahollow hub journaled in the frame, sprocket wheels journaled on the hubon each side of the frame, clutch connections between the wheels and thehub, whereby to connect the wheels to the hub, during the forwardrotation of said wheels, treadle levers pivoted to the sides of theframe and provided with racks engaging the sprocket wheels, one of saidsprocket wheels having a shaft rigid therewith, and connected andextending through the hollow hub to a point adjacent to the oppositetreadle lever, and a connection between said treadle lever and theshaft, whereby to retain the treadle lever in opposite positions withrespect to each other.

3. In a bicycle, the combination with the frame, of a rear wheel havinga hollow hub journaled in the frame, sprocket wheels journaled on thehub on each side of the frame, clutch connections between the wheels andthe hub, whereby to connect the wheels to the hub during the forwardrotation of said wheels, treadle levers pivoted to the side of the frameand provided with racks engaging the sprocket wheels, and a connectionbetween one of the treadle levers and the opposite sprocket wheel andextending through the hub for retaining the treadle levers in oppositepositions with respect to each other.

4. In a bicycle, the combination with the frame, of a rear wheel havingits hub journaled in the frame, sprocket wheels journaled on the hub oneach side of the frame, clutch connections between the wheels and thehub, whereby to connect the wheels to the hub during the forwardrotation of said wheel, treadle levers pivoted to the sides of theframe, and provided with racks engaging the sprocket wheels, and aconnection between one of the treadle levers and the op osite sprocketwheel for retaining the tread le levers in opposite positions withrespect to each other.

EDI/VIN THOMPSON PETERS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES HAMMOND, CHARLES W. OADMAN.

